Receptacle for containing and dispensing a substance under pressure



P. MESHBERG R CONTAININ April 5, 1960 RECEPTACLE F0 G AND DISPENSING ASUBSTANCE UNDER PRESSURE Filed June 2 1958 Ill! INVENTOR. P/zelapMeshbecy ATTORNEYS United States Patent RECEPTACLE FOR CONTAINING ANDDISPENS- ING A SUBSTANCE UNDER PRESSURE Philip Meshberg, Fairfield,Conn.

Application June 2, 1958, Serial No. 739,012

8 Claims. (Cl. 222-394) This invention relates to an article ofmanufacture and the method of making the same. More specifically, itpertains to an improved receptacle for containing and dispensingsubstances under pressure and to a method of constructing the same torender it leakproof and increase its operating efliciency.

The invention is directed to a species of the invention disclosed in mycopending application Serial No. 563,567, filed February 6, 1956, nowPatent No. 2,867,358, issued January 6, 1959, wherein I provided areceptacle, for containing and dispensing substances under pressure,with a leakproof seam between the valve unit and the container byturning in the upper end of the container to form a flange to cooperatewith the valve unit to compress a resilient sealing means therebetweenwhen the container and valve are connected. According to one form of theinvention disclosed in the aforenoted application, the connectionbetween the valve unit and the container was accomplished by rollinginwardly an integral portion of a depending flange, provided on alaterally extending portion of the valve unit, and a cooperatingunderlying portion of the wall of the container.

The instant invention is directed to a receptacle, wherein the containerthereof is formed of a material which is not readily adapted to having agroove rolled into a portion of its outer wall, but which is adapted tohave the valve unit connected in sealing relation therewith by bending aportion of the depending flange of the valve unit inwardly to engage apreformed groove in the wall of the container.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a preformedcontainer member for cooperation with a valve unit in forming aleakproof connection between the two, which includes an inturned edgeadjacent an open end thereof forming a short annular flangeforcooperating with a laterally extending mounting portion of the valveunit to compress a resilient sealing means therebetween, and an annulargroove formed in thewall of the container and spaced fromthe shortannular flange for receiving the inwardly bent portion of a dependingflange provided in the valve unit.

A feature of the invention is the provision, in a receptacle forcontaining and dispensing substances under pressure, of a containermember formed of materials which are diflicult to manipulate and shapein the manufacture and sealing of an aerosol receptacle.

It is also an object of the invention to provide an aerosol containingmember formed of steel which is adapted to have sealingly connectedthereto a valve unit including a valve means and a laterally extendingmounting portion provided with a depending flange.

It is also an object of the invention to provide an aerosol containingmember, adapted to have sealingly connected thereto a valve unitincluding a valve means and a laterally extending mounting portionprovided with a depending flange, which includes anannular wall having aportion thereof of reduced diameter adjacent the open end of the member.

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Another feature, therefore, of the invention is the provision in anaerosol receptacle of a containing member having a wall portion ofreduced diameter which is adapted to removably engage a cap memberadapted to enclose the valve unit and provide an extension of thecontainer member without substantially increasing the diameter thereof.

- It is another object of the invention to provide a resilient dip tubeand sealing means for use in aerosol receptacles that include acontaining member and a valve unit. Another feature of the invention isthe provision of the integral dip tube and sealing means, which isadapted to seal the connection between the valve unit and the containingmember and to function as a conventional dip tube, without permittingthe leakage of gas or the substance under pressure into the dip tubebetween the latter and the sealing means and to positively position theend of the dip tube relative to the bottom of the container member.

With these and other objects and features in mind, reference is had tothe attached sheet of drawings illustrating one form of the invention,wherein like characters represent like parts and in which:

Figure 1 is an exploded elevational view, partially in section,illustrating the features of the instant invention embodied in areceptacle for containing and dispensing substances under pressure;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the integral dip tube and sealing meansof the instant invention; and V Fig. 3 is an elevational view, partiallybroken away, illustrating the improved containing member of theinvention.

In my copending application (supra), I provided an improved receptacleby disposing between an inturned flange, on the wall of the containermember, and a valve unit having a laterally extending mounting portionpro vided with a depending flange, a resilient sealing means which, whenthe container and valve unit were secured to one another by rollinginwardly a portion of the depending flange and a cooperating underlyingwall portion of the container, forms a leakproof seal.

It has been found that certain materials such as steel and stainlesssteel, etc., which are desirable for use in aerosol receptacles, becauseof their characteristics of resistance to corrosion and strength, cannotbe readily worked in the manufacture and sealing of aerosol receptacles.The edges of the walls of the steel container cannot be turned sharplyinwardly, without costly annealing, to form an inwardly turned flangewithout cracking or otherwise destroying the material and steel andstainless stecl cannot be rolled inwardly, along with the dependingflange of a valve unit, to form a connection for securing a valve unitto the container with a resilient sealing means retained therebetween.This invention is directed to a receptacle for containing and dispensingsubstances under pressure, which in: cludes a steel, stainless steel orsimilar container having preformed thereon a short annular inturnedflange for cooperation with the valve unit in retaining a resilientsealing means therebetween and a preformed annular groove in the wall ofthe container, spaced from the short inturned annular flange, forreceiving an inwardly bent portion of the depending flange of the valveunit. The invention contemplates providing the containingmember of animproved aerosol receptacle with an annular wall having a portion ofreduced diameter, the reduced portion being adapted to removably engagea cap member which completely encloses the valve unit and provides anextension of the annular wall of the containing member withoutincreasing its external diameter.

According to the invention the resilient sealing means, which ismountedbetween the inturned flange on the container and the laterallyextendingmounting portion of the valve unit, is formed integral with thedip tube that is operably connected to the valve unit and disposedwithin the containing member. This improved structure is, advantageousin a number of respects, among which, are the positive positioning ofthe dip tube with respect to the bottom of the container to insure asteady, even, controlled flow of the substance under pressure therefromand the elimination of the leakage of gases from the container into theupper portion of the dip tube. In the prior art devices the clip tube,which was merely a pieceof elongate tubing, was frictionallytelescopically connected to the stem portion of the valve means in thevalve unit and extended toward the bottom wall of the containing member.It often occurred in these devices that the dip tube shifted relative tothe valve means, thereby altering its position with respect to thebottom of the, container, permitting greater or lesser amounts of the,substance under pressure to be. forced therethrough. It was also not anuncommon occurrence for the gases QQntained within the containing memberto leak into the dip tube through the frictional seal at the valve meansthereby equalizing the pressure within the tube and the container andpreventing the substance in the container from being dispensedtherefrom.

Referring now to the drawings for a. more detailed description of theinvention, a receptacle for containing and dispensing substances underpressure is generally indicated by the numeral 10. The receptacle, whichmay conveniently be utilized to dispense cosmetics, disinfectants,exterminating materials or other aerosol substances, comprises acontaining member 11, of steel, stainless steel or similar strongnon-corrosive materials, having an annular wall portion 12 provided withan inturned edge 13 adjacent an open end 14 thereof forming a shortannular flange. In turning in the edge of a steel or similar containerit is desirable to avoid bending the steel to too great an extent, sinceexcessive manipulating will often crack the material; it will be notedthat the short annular flange 13 is slightly upturned to avoid crackingthe material andrto grip a resilient seal, as will hereinafter bedescribed. The annular wall 12, which is formed with a portion 15 ofreduced diameter, for a purpose to be hereinafter explained, is providedwith an annular groove 16 in such area of reduced diameter and may beformed on a transfer press, eyelet machine or other high speedproduction apparatus.

A valve unit, generally indicated by the numeral 17, having a valvemeans 18, of any type commonly known to the art, and a laterallyextending mounting portion 19 provided with a depending flange 20, ismounted on container 12 at the open end thereof to form a closuretherefor. Seated between the laterally extending mountint; portion 19 ofthe valve unit 17 and the short'inturned annular flange 13 of thecontainer is a resilient sealing means 21, which forms part of anintegral dip tube and sealing means unit, generally indicated by thenumeral 22. The unit, which may be formed of any resilient material notaffected by the aerosol substance contained within the receptacleincludes, as aforenoted, the resilient sealing means 21 and an integralelongate, substantially tubular dip tube 23. The dip tube, as is commonin the aerosol receptacle art, is adapted to be disposed within thecontaining member 12 and to operably engage a portion of valve means 18for guiding the substance under pressure from the containing member tothe valve means, through which the substance is dispensed. A chamber 24may conveniently be provided in the dip tube to house the stem or otherportion of valve means 18 and is connected to the interior of'containingmember 12 by a bore 25 of reduced diameter terminating at a point spacedfrom end wall 26 of the container. The sealing means 21 is provided witha shoulder 27 for frictionally engaging the edges of inturned flange 13to locktheintegraldip. tube sealing meansunit inposition with respect tothe container prior to mounting valve unit 17 thereon.

After integral dip tube sealing means unit 22 has been positioned inengagement with containing member 12 and valve unit 17 has been mountedon the containing member with the depending flange 20 overlying the wallof reduced diameter an intermediate portion of the depending flange isbent inwardly, as by rolling, to be retained in annular groove 16 of thecontaining member. In this manner valve unit 17 is secured in positionwith respect to the containing member and the sealing means 21 iscompressed between short inturned flange 13 and laterally extendingmounting portion 19. When the resilient sealing means is compressed asaforenoted, integral dip tube 23 is positively positioned with respectto the containing member with the terminal end of bore 25 being properlyspaced from end wall 26 thereof. In the operation of the receptacle theintegral nature of the dip tube and sealing means prevents the escape ofgas into the upper end of the dip tube, thus eliminating the possibilityof malfunctions.

In many forms of aerosol receptacles it is unnecessary for a cap memberor cover to be utilized to protect the valve unit and enclose theoperating portions of the structure. In the illustrated embodiment ofthe invention, however, a cap member 28, of the type found desirable incosmetic aerosol receptacles, is shown. The cap member is adapted toremovably engage the reduced wall portion 15 of container 11 tosubstantially completely enclose valve unit 17 and provide an extensionof annular wall 12, without increasing the external diameter of thereceptacle.

Thus, among others, the several objects and features of the invention asaforenoted are achieved. Obviously, numerous changes in the structuremay be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention asdefined by the claims.

I claim:

1. An improved receptacle for containing and dispensing a substanceunder pressure comprising a one piece steel container having an annularwall portion pro.- vided with an inturned edge adjacent an open endthereof forming a short slightly upturned annular flange, said annularwall being formed with an annular groove adjacent said open end, a valveunit having a valve means and a laterally extending mounting portion tofit over the open end of the container to form a closure therefor, saidlaterally extending mounting portion being formed with a dependingflange to fit over the annular wall of said container, a resilientsealing means disposed between said valve unit and. container to form aseal therebetween. the portion of the depending flange remote from saidlaterally extending portion being bent into said annular groove tosecure said valve unit in sealing relation with respect to saidcontainer and a dip tube operably associated with said valve unit anddisposed in said contrainer for directing said substance from thecontainer to the valve unit.

2. An improved receptacle for containing and dispensing a substanceunder pressure comprising a one piece stainless steel container havingan annular wall portion provided with an inturned edge adjacent an openend thereof forming a short slightly upturned annular flange, saidannular wall being formed with an annular groove adjacent said open end,a valve unit having a valve means and a laterally extending mountingportion to fit over the open end of the container to form a closuretherefor, said laterally extending mounting portion being formed with adepending flange to fit over the annular wall of said container, anannular resilient sealing means disposed between said laterallyextending mountingportron and said short annular flange to form a sealtherebetween, the portion of the depending flange remote from saidlaterally extending portion being bent into said annular groove tosecure said valve unit in sealing relation withrespect to said containerand a dip tube operably associated with said valve unit and disposed insaid container for directing said substance from the container to thevalve unit.

3. An improved receptacle for containing and dispensing a substanceunder pressure comprising a container having an annular wall portionprovided with an inturned edge adjacent an'open end thereof forming anannular flange,

said annular wall being formed with an annular groove adjacent said openend, a valve unit having a valve means and a laterally extendingmounting portion to fit over the open end of the container to form aclosure therefor, said laterally extending mounting portion being formedwith a depending flange to fit over the annular wall of said container,a resilient sealing means disposed between said laterally extendingmounting portion and said annular flange to form a, seal therebetween,and a dip tube formed integral with said resilient sealing means andoperably connected to said valve unit and disposed in said container,the portion of the depending flange remote from said laterally extendingportion being bent into said annular groove to secure said valve unitwith respect to said container with said integral dip tube and sealingmeans a short slightly upturned annular flange, said annular Wall beingformed with an annular groove adjacent said open end, a valve unithaving a valve means and a laterally extending mounting portion to fitover the open end of the container to form a closure therefor, saidlaterally said depending flange into said annular groove so that saidsealing member is wedged in sealing position and said valve unit issecurely connected to said container to form a leakproof sealtherebetween.

6. A method of forming a receptacle for containing and dispensing asubstance under pressure comprising the steps of forming a one piecestainless steel annular container having an annular wall portion and anopen end and having an annular groove formed in said annular walladjacent said open end, turning in the upper end portions of the wall ofsaid container to form an integral short slightly upturned annularflange around said open end, mounting a valve unit having a valve meansand a laterally extending mounting portion provided with a dependingflange on said container to close said open end, positioning an annularresilient sealing member between said valve unit and container, operablyengaging a dip tube with said valve unit to be disposed in saidcontainer and turning an intermediate portion of said depending flangeinto said annular groove so that said sealing member is wedged insealing position and said valve unit is securely connected to saidcontainer to form a leakproof seal therebetween.

extending mounting portion being formed with a depending flange to fitover the annular wall of said container, an annular resilient sealingmeans disposed between said laterally extending mounting portion andsaid slightly upturned annular flange to form a seal therebetween, and adip tube formed integral with said resilient sealing means and operablyconnected to said valve unit and disposed in said container, the portionof the depending flange remote from said laterally extending portionbeing bent into said annular groove to secure said valve unit in sealingrelation with respect to said container with said integral dip tube andsealing means retained therebetween.

5. A method of forming a receptacle for containing and dispensing asubstance under pressure comprising the steps of forming a one piecesteel container having an annular wall portion and an open end andhaving an annular groove formed in said annular wall adjacent said openend, turning in the upper end portions of the wall of said container toform an integral short slightly upturned annular flange around said openend, mounting a valve unit having a valve means and a laterallyextending mounting portion provided with a depending flange on saidcontainer to close said open end, positioning a resilient sealing memberbetween said valve unit and container, operably engaging a dip tube withsaid valve unit to be disposed in said container and turning a portionof 7. In a receptacle for containing and dispensing a substance underpressure including a container having an annular wall portion providedwith an inturned edge adjacent an open-end thereof forming an annularflange and a valve unit having a valve means and a laterally extendingmounting portion provided with a depending flange to fit over the openend of the container to form a closure therefor; the improvement inreceptacles comprising an annular resilient sealing means retainedbetween said laterally extending mounting portion and said annularflange, and a dip tube formed integral with said sealing means anddisposed within said container for operable association with said valvemeans.

8. In a receptacle for containing and dispensing a substance underpressure including a container having an annular wall portion providedwith an inturned edge adjacent an open end thereof forming an annularflange and a valve unit having a valve means and a laterally extendingmounting portionvprovi'ded with a depending flange to fit over the openend of the container to form a closure therefor; the improvement inreceptacles comprising an annular resilient sealing means retainedbetween said laterally extending mounting portion and said annularflange, and a resilient dip tube formed integral with said sealing meansand disposed within said container for operable association with saidvalve means, said dip tube including a bore of reduced diameter adjacentthe end directed away from said sealing means for controlling the flowof the substance under pressure therethrough.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,376,404 Thorns May 22, 1945 2,788,925 Ward Apr. 16, 1957 2,835,418Manetti May 20, 1958

